Appeal No. 2001-1853
Application 09/198,217
soldered in the usual manner to each of the bars so that, in
effect, electrodes are provided across the bar thickness and the
bars thus become a series of parallel capacitors."
Because Bullock repeatedly teaches the general operability
of the overall arrangement of his invention as being based upon
certain capacitive effects, it is implicit that each of the bars
would be constructed in the same manner as a capacitor by the use
of these electrodes. In any event, Stein makes clear at column
1, lines 30-36 as well as each of the Figures 1-3 that elements
14a, 14i and elements 16a, 16i comprise the electrodes associated
with each of the bending transducers shown in Figures 1-3 in
Stein. Moreover, appellants' discussion of the prior art at
specification page 2, lines 23-25 indicates that the
"piezoelectret is electrically contacted on both sides with
electrodes in the form of a planar coating made from a conductive
material." Finally, in the paragraph bridging pages 15 and 16 of
the brief, appellants appear to admit that Stein teaches this
feature as standard practice in the art anyway.
Although we agree with the examiner's conclusion as to the
obviousness of the earlier noted claims the rejection of which we
sustain, we find nothing in Bullock which would have indicated to
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